


A Shot in the Dark

by John_Steiner



Category: Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:20:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22522405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: In a distant future Star Shot, the first crewed mission to an exoplanet had landed and named the unexplored world Gaia. Then the transmissions stopped, prompting a new mission to ascertain what happened the Star Shot crew. Despite orbital data suggesting perfect weather, the ISS New Dawn settled down into a raging surface storm that blotted out all light. Then a pressure suit belonging to the Star Shot Mission is sighted approaching the New Dawn, but there's a suit breach and the wearer doesn't talk through comms.
Kudos: 1





	A Shot in the Dark

The first mission that landed earned the right to name the world, and they chose Gaia. Their announcement was the last transmission that was received.

"Storm's still going," Jarvis said while cycling through cameras from his operations chair.

"Global weather matches" Ursula replied in the neighboring station.

After establishing an orbital presence with satellites, the ISS New Dawn had deployed the two surface landers to set down on the surface under perfect conditions. The target area chosen on, what was back home, universally considered the garden spot of a world better, suited to human life than even Earth.

While the exploratory site of the first mission was identified prior to landing, there were no signs of the ship or survivors. The first stage of colony construction had start two days ago. Then the storm arrived.

"How the hell could we miss this," Mission Commander Tara Dall grumbled, standing behind the two.

"Guess we're just lucky that way," Ursula cracked.

"We had Gaia under constant surveillance from Sol for over twenty years," Tara pointed out, "All the weather patterns were milder than Earth."

"Maybe it's a storm of the century scenario," Jarvis suggested, "Or even less frequent, given the peculiar orbital tract it has."

"I don't see how a six-day eclipse behind a gas giant fifty million kilometers away can cause this."

"Commander?" Ryan called over comms.

Tara brought up her network access on her wrist and touched the comms icon. Ryan's bewildered face came up, and Tara spoke. "Go ahead."

"Ah-- we got someone approaching," Ryan said, and shook his head. "Can't make out who it is, but the pressure suit outline matches those issued to the Star Shot Mission."

"Where are you now," Tara asked.

"We're at the southern airlock with EVA Rescue Ops," Ryan answered, "I wasn't sure what condition they'd be in and prepared for the worst."

"Good thinking," Tara replied, "I'm on my way."

Tara jogged to the airlock, remembering that surface gravity on Gaia was nearly twenty percent higher, but that medical enhancements readied each crew member for that among other things.

Ryan stood by the airlock controls watching the screen linked to the cam array around the lock's outer door and remarking to the EVA rescue personnel, "Their steps are unsteady, but I don't see signs of injury."

"How would they have found their way here?" Tara asked, getting Ryan's attention. "The Star Shot landing site is more than a hundred kilometers from here. There's no way with that visibility and wind speeds."

"Not sure," Ryan shrugged, returning his gaze to the screen. "Maybe they got one of the rovers operational and rode that."

The rovers on the Star Shot Mission were autonomous, Tara remembered from the mission briefing, which would've made for an interesting ride without chairs or restrains.

"Twenty meters," Ryan noted for all present. "Starting to get better visibility. Their suit lights are out."

Tara stepped up behind Ryan to watch the crew member's approach. "There's something in their hand."

"Could be supplies," Ryan suggested, "That suit's facilities can be linked to emergency external supply cases issued to the mission."

"What do we know about soil composition?" Tara asked, "They seemed to have a lot of grime on their helmet glass."

Face shields of modern pressure suits weren't made of glass, rather a variably selected transparency nano-particle composite that was as tough as the rest of the hard shell materials.

"Nothing with sufficient electrostatic properties to adhere under these conditions," Ryan answered, "They're ten meters out, and I still can't see their face."

"What's that?" Tara pointed.

"Good god, they've got a breach!" Ryan grew alarmed.

The last report of Gaia confirmed Sol-based estimates that the atmosphere was eighty-three percent nitrogen and sixteen percent oxygen, but with higher pressure it meant more oxygen overall. There was no surface life, making the gaseous oxygen a mystery, but all that meant was that humanity could freely seed Earth life without concerns of annihilating indigenous organisms.

"That's not a breach," Tara remarked, as the crew member got within four meters of the airlock.

"Why would someone shoot them with a retrieval harpoon?" Ryan wondered, "Was it an accident?"

"They're cycling the outer doors," one of the EVA rescuers said.

Tara heard the air cycle from the chamber, and the fainter sound of the outer door actuators open. The steps of the suit were heavy, and a subtler sound of the suit motor assist actuators could be heard.

"Outer door closing," Ryan observed, "Okay, they're opening the inner door. EVA Ops, you're up."

Prior to having landed the Star Shot Mission had sent rovers down to study the surface conditions. From those results the original crew had determined there was no need of quarantine procedures, which was why Tara didn't call for any now.

The inner door slid back, revealing the suited figure. They stood there a moment, turning slightly to note the EVA rescuers, and then back to Ryan and Tara. They took the first step inside, and Tara noticed that the case in hand was not in fact linked up to the suit. No power cables and no tubes for air, water, or food were connected. The visor was blackened out for shielding against high intensity light and other electromagnetic radiation.

Ryan gestured for the person to dock up their suit to the wall mount for extraction. Yet, the Star Shot crew member didn't move.

"Try to link the network to their suit and walk them to the mount," Tara ordered.

Ryad tapped on the touch-sensitive surface of his wrist unit, but shook his head after a couple tries. "Nothing's responding."

"Do you have access to anything in it?" she asked.

"I think I can adjust the visor," Ryan suggested, and keyed away.

Slower than Tara thought it should, the visor's transparency rose. The person's forehead seemed smoother and paler than it should, but with full visibility, Tara's mouth went slack.

Standing before them was a skeleton with bare shreds of tissue and hair. Around the perimeter of the suit were wicked curving teeth that flexed individually. The suit hand dropped the case, which clattered and popped open.

Within, a black pudding-like substance pulsated and throbbed. Then it seemed to explode into a charcoal powder that was drawn to mouths and nostrils. Tara convulsed along with Ryan and the EVA team. She felt blood spurt from her mouth and nose, then seemed to sink into the floor.

She saw her body as if from underneath, but all around her was pitch black. The sense that someone else lurked in the darkness brought forth an impulse she thought might've been words. "No Eden for you. All you bring is the shadow of evil. And shadow is where you will dwell."


End file.
